Curfew brings uneasy calm in Valley

Zulfikar Majid Srinagar, dhns:

At least 83 people, including policemen and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, have been injured in the last two days of protests across the Kashmir Valley while life remained paralysed for the second consecutive day on Saturday amid curfew and shutdown.

The shutdown call has been given by various religious and separatist organisations to protest against the killing of unarmed civilians by paramilitary Border Security Forces (BSF) personnel at Gool in Ramban district earlier this week.

The BSF has dismissed the allegation saying a mob had attacked its camp and tried to storm its storehouse of arms and ammunition which prompted the personnel to “fire in self-defence.” However, locals have dismissed the BSF explanation as “fabrication” saying that the troopers had opened fire on peaceful protesters.

A police spokesperson said that 59 persons, including 49 police and CRPF men, were injured in stone pelting incidents in various areas of Kashmir on Friday.

General of Police, Kashmir, Abdul Gani Mir said situation in the Valley remained by and large peaceful on Saturday. “Around 24 people, including policemen and CRPF men, have been injured in stone pelting incidents at different places,” he said.

Reports said people defied curfew by staging protests at several places in the Valley during the day. Groups of youths tried to take out protest rallies at several places in Srinagar. However, they were stopped.

To thwart any protest demonstration, heavy contingents of police and paramilitary CRPF were deployed in the curfew-bound areas. The forces had laid razor wire and erected barricades to stop movement of people and traffic. Joint parties of police and CRPF personnel were seen patrolling the streets of curfew-bound areas.